Every Life Matters – Suicide Safer Copeland

Every Life Matters was founded in November 2018 by a group of individuals either personally affected by suicide or from the local Third Sector with a specific interest and expertise in suicide prevention. Their aim, to take a fresh, innovative and long term approach to suicide prevention and suicide bereavement support in Cumbria.

A key part of their work is the development of local Suicide Safer Community Projects across Cumbria which aim to raise awareness of suicide in the local community. Helping people to talk directly about suicide, to understand when someone is at risk of suicide, how we can all support someone having thoughts of suicide and to raise awareness of the range of support and services locally and nationally that can support someone in a suicide crisis.

With only a small number of people who die by suicide reaching out for help, Every Life Matters believes that suicide needs to be everyone’s business, and that family, friends, colleagues and community members are just as crucial, if not amore important element of saving lives.

The Copeland Community Fund grant supports employing a local Suicide Safer Community Project Worker in Copeland who can provide a range of training opportunities to local groups, help raise awareness of suicide through local community projects, develop local leadership to ensure suicide prevention gets the profile it needs and to support a group of local project champions who can spread the word about suicide prevention in their local communities, workplaces, churches and more.

Chris Wood, Development Manager “The Copeland Community Fund grant has allowed us to begin reaching really deeply into West Coast Communities with suicide prevention messages, and we are delighted they have chosen to support us and recognise suicide as such an important issue. This grant will enable us to continue our work through, and in the aftermath of Covid-19 and give us space to modify how we work to keep our awareness raising and training active”.

Other funders include Sellafield Ltd, Awards for All and Cumbria Community Foundation.

Outputs

  • 0.6 FTE Jobs Created
  • 2000 Local People Assisted in their Skills Development
  • £20,800 Match Funding
  • 600 Volunteer Hours

Outcomes

  • People are more able to talk openly about suicide, there is less stigma attached to talking about suicide and common myths and misperceptions about suicide are reduced
  • People better understand who is at risk of suicide and the nature of suicidal thoughts and behaviour
  • People have the confidence, skills and resources to more effectively support those at risk of suicide and are more aware of the help and information that is available to those at risk of suicide and those in some way supporting an individual at risk of suicide
  • People at risk of suicide are more likely to be able to access appropriate support in a more timely manner